Former Olympic sprinter survives landslide
By Jensen LaVende jensen.lavende@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Sep 15, 2011 at 12:51 AM ECT
Story Updated: Sep 15, 2011 at 12:51 AM ECT
FORMER Trinidad and Tobago national sprinter Patrick "Bullet" Delice is thanking God for being alive after a landslide behind his home smashed through his bedroom.
Delice who represented the country in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics in the 200 and 400 metres told the Express yesterday at his Upper L'anse Mitan Road, Carenage home had he been in bed he may have been dead.
"I normally home watching movies... I don't go out... look here I have real movies... watch right here I does normally have my head," Delice said pointing to the broken wall.
The 43-year-old said he was at the home of a former coach Richard Ross on Saturday, when he received a telephone call that "Pa was in his room". "Pa" is Delice's elderly neighbour who came tumbling down, along with the dirt beneath him, which crashed through Delice's bedroom wall, leaving a nature made window and an easy entrance for would-be bandits.
Delice is now calling on the powers that be to lend any form of assistance to repair the damage to his home as well as to construct a retention wall to prevent further landslides from damaging his home, which he shares with his sister and brother.
The sprinter—turned—carpenter said he is now forced to keep a pair of boots on hand for whenever rain falls to remove the excess water which finds itself settling in his bedroom and kitchen floor.
Delice said the entire incident may have been avoided had the neighbour's wall been constructed properly. He added that the elderly gentleman suffered a head injury and has since moved out of the area to recover.
